Multi-needle sewing machines,simulating piped seams

ABSTRACT

A vertically-reciprocatable bar horizontally positioned across the machine, has a series of needles mounted on its front face and depending therefrom. There is a companion needle for each of the front needles, depending from the back surface of said bar. Under this needle bar, is a work-supporting carriage mounted for movement in a direction along this bar. Pinch rollers on this carriage, feed web material off supply rolls, through the machine past the needles. Cam means control carriage movement and pinch roller operation. For each pair of needles there is one slide shuttle; all shuttles being on a second carriage. A main rotating shaft is associated with mechanism to reciprocate the needle bar and the shuttles&#39;&#39; carriage. The work-supporting plate has one slot for each pair of needles to pass through to and from the shuttle zone. Shuttle movement is either in a direction through the machine or in an oblique direction. For ordinary seams, the rear needles are removed.

Minted States Patent [151 3,695,196

Codos 1 1 Oct. 3, 1972 4] MULTll-NEEDLE SEWING MACHINES, Primary Examiner-James R. Boler SIMULATING PIPED SEAMS Att0rneyAbraham Friedman and Abraham Good- 72 Inventor: William v. Codos, Clifton, NJ.

07013 l 57 ABSTRACT [73] Assignee: Pathe Equipment Company, Inc.

East Paterson, NJ.

8/ 1958 Great Britain ..1 12 64 A vertically-reciprocatable bar horizontally positioned across the machine, has a series of needles mounted on its front face and depending therefrom. There is a companion needle for each of the front needles, depending from the back surface of said bar. Under this needle bar, is a work-supporting carriage mounted for movement in a direction along this bar. Pinch rollers on this carriage, feed web material off supply rolls, through the machine past the needles. Cam means control carriage movement and pinch roller operation. For each pair of needles there is one slide shuttle; all shuttles being on a second carriage. A main rotating shaft is associated with mechanism to reciprocate the needle bar and the shuttles carriage. The work-supporting plate has one slot for each pair of needles to pass through to and from the shuttle zone. Shuttle movement is either in a direction through the machine or in an oblique direction. For ordinary seams, the rear needles are removed.

8 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures PAIENTED B 3 I973 3.695.198 sum 1 or 2 INVENTOR, WILLIAM v. cooos,

ATTOR NEY.

PATENTEDnm m2 SHEEI 2 BF 2 I FIGS INVENTOR, WILLIAM v. cooos,

ATTORNEY.

MULTI-NEEDLE SEWING MACHINES, SIMULA'IING PIPED SEAMS The present invention relates to, and its principal object is to provide, multi-needle, lock-stitch sewing machines, quilting machines, embroidery machines and the like, whose seam lines simulate the appearance of piped seams, without the insertion of a piping or the forming of a piping of the material of the webbing worked on, but is automatically accomplished by the arching of the web between two comparatively close lines of ordinary stitching sewn simultaneously by a novel arrangement of needles and shuttles. The resulting work is highly decorative as compared by merely effecting a double line seam which leaves the web flat between the double line of stitches.

A further object thereof is to provide a machine of the character described, which produces the piping effect, even if the work through the machine is but a single ply.

Another object thereof is to provide a machine of the character mentioned, which can be easily arranged to sew seams simulating piping, or to sew seams in ordina- 'ry fashion.

Another object thereof is to provide machines for the stated purposes by economical changes and additions to present machines of this class.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide machines for the purposes mentioned, which are easy to set up, and which are efficientin carrying out the purposes for which they are designed.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent as this disclosure proceeds.

For one practice of this invention, use is made of the general scheme of construction of heretofore existing multi-needle, lock-stitch sewing machines utilized for quilting, embroidery. and the like, employing sliding shuttles. Two principal types differ only that in one, the shuttles are moved in the direction of web movement through the machine, while in the other, the shuttles move in a direction which is oblique to the direction of web movement through the machine. In their general scheme of construction, which I will illustrate, I resort to the type of machine 'e' having a vertically reciprocatably horizontal bar from which the needles depend in a predetermined spaced relation. Under this needle bar, a work-holding carriage is mounted on the frame for movement in a direction along said bar. Said carriage carries pinch rollers beyond the needle zone, to feed the work through the machine past the needles. From rolls of supply, plies are fed through the machine. Cam means control carriage movement and pinch roller operation, and as is well known, various designs of stitching are effected by controlled simultaneous or independent movement of said carriage and rollers. Each needle in said basic machines, is associated with a single shuttle; all shuttles being on a second carriage. A main rotating shaft is associated with mechanismto reciprocate the needle bar and to reciprocate the carriage transporting the shuttles.

For these machines to accomplish the objects of this invention, a companion needle is furnished for each needle already on the machine, in a prescribed relation thereto. The associated shuttle is made to cooperate with both needles. Where before, as in the work-supporting plate on the machine, there was a hole for each needle to pass through, each hole is changed to a slot to accommodate a pair of companion needles.

In the accompanying drawings forming part of this specification, similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

FIG. I is a fragmentary front view of an automatic quilting machine which is chosen to illustrate and explain this invention. Parts are omitted to attain clarity.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing in side elevation the needle and shuttle mechanism in accordance with the teachings of this invention as may be embodied in machines of the nature concerned with herein. Also shown is the means which can be employed for operating such mechanism FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front view of the machine shown slightly enlarged.

Flg. 4 is a fragmentary top plan view of FIG. 3, including the shuttle carriage. Here such carriage has movement along the machine.

FIG. 5 is a top plan view as FIG. 4, but here, carriage movement is in a direction oblique to machine length.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing one set of companion needles and the shuttle which cooperates with them.

FIG. 7 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view showing said set of companion needles and the slot required for them to pass through in the work-supporting plate.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged fragmentary top plan view showing the composite needle bar where each pair of companion needles has its own shuttle. Also shown are the lines of stitching made on a piece of work which has been moved in an oblique direction with respect to the direction of work feed along the machine.

FIG. 9a is an enlarged perspective showing of the stitches effected by the simultaneous operation of two needles, where each was acted on by its one shuttle.

FIG. 9b is a section across the stitches shown in FIG. 9a, associated with the plies they have sewn together. The FIGS. 9a and 9b show prior art, and are included merely as an aid for comparison with the work accomplished by the machine taught herein.

FIG. 10a is an enlarged perspective view, showing the lock stitch construction effected by the machine taught herein so a line of such stitching simulates a piped seam, which is extremely desirable in the quilting and embroidery arts.

FIG. 10b shows a section across the stitch structure of FIG. 10a, associated with the plies they have sewn together. Here, the piped seam appearance is clearly evident.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary top plan view of a piece of work which is one example of what this machine can do, as will be explained.

In the drawings, the numeral 15 designates generally an automatic quilter on whose frame 16 is a vertically reciprocatable horizontal bar 17', from which a series of coplanar needles l8 depend in spaced relation along said bar. Under this bar, a work-holding carriage indicated generally by the numeral 19, carries the rotatable pinch rollers 20,20 which are beyond the needles and serve to feed the work through the machine past the needles. From supply rolls 21,22 on said carriage 19, an upper ply 21' and a lower ply 22 are fed through the machine with a layer of batting or wadding 23 between them; such intermediate layer being off a supply roll 23,mounted on the frame 16. A rotating shaft 24 journalled on the machine frame, carries suitable cams for the control of said carraige movement and pinch roller operation. There is a slide shuttle for each needle of the series marked 18, carried on elongated shuttle holders which are removably mounted on a second carriage slidably mounted onthe frame and indicated generally by the numeral 25. A main rotating shaft 26 on the frame, is associated with linkages, eccentrics and bell-cranks in known manner as shown and indicated generally by the numeral 27, to reciprocate the needle bar and to reciprocate the carriage 25, in proper timed relation. For each needle to make a straight line of stitches along the work which rests on the fixed plate 33, the carriage 19 is at rest, while the pinch rollers 20,20 turn to feed the work towards the right in FIG. 2. For each needle to make straight line of stitches across the work, said carriage 19 is moved in one direction. While such pinch rollers are at rest. Simultaneous movements of said carriage 19 and said pinch rollers as determined by the cam means on shaft 24, accomplish a predetermined design. As is usual in this class of machinery, the needle bar 17' has a second bar 17" parallel behind it, making a unitary structure needle bar indicated as 17. Said bar 17" has a second set of needles of the series marked 28, so each shuttle holder 30 carries two shuttles 31 and 32, one for a needle 18, and the other for the needle 28 directly to the rear.

The shuttle-carrying carriage 25 has two cross bars 34 and 35 which are attached to the slide rod 36, which is supported by the fixed cross members 30,38. The direction of movement of the carriage 25 is along the work, and all shuttle carriers 30 also extend in such direction. The frame 16 has a cross member 39 on which are fixed races 40 for the respective shuttle carriers 30. In some machines, the direction of shuttle movement is oblique as shown in FIG. 5. Hence, the carriage 25 therefor, moves along such oblique line, and each pair of related needles 18 and 28 are arranged in such oblique plane, as indicated by the lines marked 41, and the races 40 therefor, are likewise'slanted. The structure thus far described,is well known.

For further general information as to this class of machinery, see US. Pat. No. 1,948,876 issued to Boettcher on Feb. 27, 1934, and British Pat. No. 800,240 dated as of Apr. 30, l956.

For these machines to accomplish seams which simulate piping and create other seam design effects, a second needle 18 is furnished for each needle 18, and a second needle 28 is furnished for each needle 28. Since it is usual to have all the needles 18 and 28 on the front faces of the respective bars 17' and 17", their companion needles 18' and 28' are mounted on the rear faces thereof. It is suggested as mere example, and found practical in a machine embodying this invention, that the thickness of each bar be one-quarter of an inch. The walls of each race have suitable vertical grooves as shown at 42, 42'for eachset of needles to travel in. The plate 33 has a slot as shown at 43 encompassing said pair of grooves. The stroke of the shuttlecarrying carriage is adjusted so each shuttle shall cooperate with both needles of a set of needles,

whereby the stitches effected have the structure shown in the FIGS. a,l0b. Change of the stroke of travel of the carriage 25 or 25' as the case may be, can be accomplished by change in position of the axis bolt 44. It

hered to in each of the embodiments shown in the FIGS. 4 and 5.

Needle and shuttle threads and their related tension devices have been omitted in the views showing machine structure, in order to attain clarity in the drawings, and being well known, no such illustration is believed needed herein. In the set-up shown in the FIGS. 4 and 8, the work 50, was moved obliquely by the combined action of the carriage 19 and the pinch rollers 20,20. The lines of stitches 46, 46" were effected by one set of needles 18,18, and together, such stitch lines constitute the seam 46. The lines of stitches 47, 47 were effected by the set of needles 28, 28', which are directly behind, and such lines of stitches constitute the seam 47. In the set-up shown in FIG. 5, the work (not shown) was moved straight through the machine by action only of the pinch rollers, so the seams 48 and 49, each consisting of two close lines of stitches, where effected.

In lock-stitch sewing machines basically, the combined movements of a needle and its shuttle, cause a loop of needle thread to be forced through the work to be engaged by a loop of shuttle thraed, in manner well known. If each needle had its own shuttle, then as shown in FIG. 9a, the line of stitches made by one needle and its associated shuttle, would be the separate line indicated generally as 51. The line of stitches made by the second needle and its associated separate shuttle, would be the separate line 51. The stitches of said lines 51, 51 would have no association and the material of the work between them, would lie flat as at F".

However, in the present invention, the loops 52, 52, made through the work by one set of needles as 18, 18', are engaged as shown in FIG. 10a, 10b, by a single loop 53 effected by the single shuttle 31 serving them, and all loops being drawn tight by machine operation, the lower ends of the needle loops 52 and 52, will be brought together by the tightening of the shuttle loop, thus causing the material of the work between the stitch lines 46, 46", to become upwardsly arched as at P, and so the seam 46, and likewise, the seam 47,will have the appearance of piped seams.

It is important to note that the piping effect is accomplished by these machines, even if the work through the machines consists of but a single ply.

' Since these machines effect seams 46, 47, 48, 49, which are puffed up, close lines of such seams over areas of the web, or over the whole web, would give the work a ribbed appearance. Since the distance between companion stitch lines as 46, 46", are closer as the angle A in FIG. 8 is decreased, and when zero, are in superimposed relation, various designs are possible of being accomplished, as for instance the rings in FIG. 11, where each is of two puffed up crescent-shaped C, joined by straight superimposed stitch lines in the sections S.

remove the needles from one face of the bars 17' and 17''.

it is evident that machiens of this class built for sewing ordinary seams, can be easily converted to effect piped seams simulations by providing them with a second needle for each existing needle, spaced therefrom rearward along the direction of shuttle movement, as herein taught, and of course having each shuttle in each movement to cooperate companion needle.

This invention is capable of numerous forms and various applications without departing from the essential features herein disclosed. It is therefore intended and desired that the embodiments herein shall be deemed merely illustrative and not restrictive and that the patent shall cover all patentable novelty herein ser forth; reference being had to following claims rather than to the specific showings and description herein, to indicate the scope of this invention.

I claim:

1. A sewing machine for forming decorative piped seams in a web, said sewing machine comprising a needle bar, a pair of thread-carrying needles mounted on said needle bar in widely spaced parallel relation, a thread-carrying shuttle, drive means for moving said needle bar and shuttle in timed relation, a web support interposed between said needles and said shuttle, feed means for drawing a web along said support, said pair of needles being movable by said drive means at least in part through both said web and web support into and out of operative association with said shuttle, the thread carried on said shuttle acting to form a lockstitch with the threads carried by the spaced pair of needles respectively and draw the latter needle threads toward one another from the spaced positions of the needles into interlocked relation, said needles being sufficiently spaced from one another such that said web is squeezed upwardly to substantially greater height between the interlocked needle threads than remaining portions of the web which are free from the interlocked needle threads, as said needle threads are drawn toward one another, said web thereby being imparted with a pronounced decorative piped bulge on one surface thereof between the respective interlocked needle threads, said spaced pair of needles defining a plane extending parallel to the direction of feed, and means for selectively moving said web in a direction laterally of the plane defined by said spaced pair of needles.

2. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of pairs of spaced needles, and respective shuttles for each said pair of spaced needles.

3. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said needle bar includes a pair of opposite surfaces, one needle from each said pair of needles extending from one said surface, the other needle from each said pair of needles extending from the opposite said surface, said pair of opposite surfaces being spaced from one another over a distance of substantially one-quarter of an inch.

4. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 3 including a second needle bar spaced from the first said needle bar and carrying a duplicate arrangement of spaced pairs of needles, and further respective shuttles for each pair of said needles of said second needle bar, each pair of spaced needles of the first said needle bar being co-planar with an associated pair of spaced needles of said second needle bar.

5. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said shuttles are supported for linear reciprocation.

6. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttles are reciprocated in a direction parallel to the direction along which said web is fed.

7. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttles are reciprocated in a direction oblique to the direction along which said web is fed.

8. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttles are grouped as pairs, one shuttle of each pair being operatively associated with a pair of needles of the first said needle bar, the other shuttle of each pair being operatively associated with a pair of needles of said second needle bar, and including means for reciprocating each pair of shuttles simultaneously.

t a: e a: 

1. A sewing machine for forming decorative piped seams in a web, said sewing machine comprising a needle bar, a pair of threadcarrying needles mounted on said needle bar in widely spaced parallel relation, a thread-carrying shuttle, drive means for moving said needle bar and shuttle in timed relation, a web support interposed between said needles and said shuttle, feed means for drawing a web along said support, said pair of needles being movable by said drive means at least in part through both said web and web support into and out of operative association with said shuttle, the thread carried on said shuttle acting to form a lock-stitch with the threads carried by the spaced pair of needles respectively and draw the latter needle threads toward one another from the spaced positions of the needles into interlocked relation, said needles being sufficiently spaced from one another such that said web is squeezed upwardly to substantially greater height between the interlocked needle threads than remaining portions of the web which are free from the interlocked needle threads, as said needle threads are drawn toward one another, said web thereby being imparted with a pronounced decorative piped bulge on one surface thereof between the respective interlocked needle threads, said spaced pair of needles defining a plane extending parallel to the direction of feed, and means for selectively moving said web in a direction laterally of the plane defined by said spaced pair of needles.
 2. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 1 including a plurality of pairs of spaced needles, and respective shuttles for each said pair of spaced needles.
 3. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 2 wherein said needle bar includes a pair of opposite surfaces, one needle from each said pair of needles extending from one said surface, the other needle from each said pair of needles extending from the opposite said surface, said pair of opposite surfaces being spaced from one another over a distance of substantially one-quarter of an inch.
 4. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 3 including a second needle bar spaced from the first said needle bar and carrying a duplicate arrangement of spaced pairs of needles, and further respective shuttles for each pair of said needles of said second needle bar, each pair of spaced needles of the first said needle bar being co-planar with an associated pair of spaced needles of said second needle bar.
 5. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 4 wherein said shuttles are supported for linear reciprocation.
 6. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttles are reciprocated in a direction parallel to the direction along which said web is fed.
 7. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttles are reciprocated in a direction oblique to the direction along which said web is fed.
 8. A sewing machine as claimed in claim 5 wherein said shuttles are grouped as pairs, one shuttle of each pair being operatively associated with a pair of needles of the first said needle bar, the other shuttle of each pair being operatively associated with a pair of needles of said second needle bar, and including means for reciprocating each pair of shuttles simultaneously. 